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FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK
Explaining the Intense Focus on Hosted Payloads
Most satellite industry executives in the government sector realize that Hosted Payloads are not the end-all, be-all solution for military requirement sets, but rather one important element in a wide range of solutions available in the commercial sector. The reason that Hosted Payloads are experiencing a surge of interest could be that their capabilities provide a platform example of how the government must change its thinking when it comes to executing new strategies. The new economic reality has quickly placed new, expensive and government-exclusive space assets and programs into an unfamiliar spotlight.
The Hosted Payload Summit that Via Satelite and the SATELLITE conference group produced in Washington D.C. this past October was a tremendous success, not only because it brought much needed government representation to the industry-based table, but also because it acknowledged the ingredients for a potential recipe to meet military needs within a realistic budget strategy. Both the government’s administrative leadership and Congress have expressed a willingness to support a fundamentally different military acquisition process and the commercial satellite industry is ready to respond to their plans. Now is the time for those responsible for executing these models in the Pentagon to make some difficult decisions in showing that same willingness.
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Top Story
Congress Seeks Dynamic Military Export Policy Shift with H.R. 3288
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Ambassador Gregory Schulte asserted the U.S. Department of Defense’s intentions to cooperate with commercial satellite companies in leveraging hosted payload capabilities at the Oct. 4 Hosted Payload Summit in Washington, D.C. U.S. military procurement procedures and the enactment of policy to support hosted payload and other private-industry space programs have long been areas of confusion for the satellite industry ...More»
Industry Focus
Canadian Military Ready for Long-Term U.S. WGS Commitment
Canada could be the United States’ latest Wideband Global Satellite (WGS) ally as the nation’s government revealed plans Oct. 28 to spend as much as $477 million to participate in the U.S.-led military program. The announcement follows Canadian Parliament authorizing Canadian Defense Minister Peter MacKay permission to pay the sum to ensure Canadian participation ...More»
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 Executive Q&A
Xtar’s Andrew Ruszkowski Sees Positive Direction for Hosted Payloads Following D.C. Summit
X-band satellite operator Xtar has been working to expand its sales opportunities in new markets worldwide while making inroads into technology challenges faced with government customers always operating under stringent budget environments. Some of its strategies include developing its fleet to support the needs of current and future military requirements and supporting developments in government hosted payload use ...More»
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Contracts
SGSI, Segovia Win U.S. Navy Satcom IDIQ with $315 Million Ceiling
Inmarsat subsidiaries Stratos Government Services (SGSI) and Segovia have been awarded an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract by the U.S Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization (DITCO) ...More»
Harris Inks $51.5 Million U.S. Army MET Terminal Order
Harris Corp. has received a $51.5 million delivery order for advanced satellite terminals under the U.S. Army’s Modernization of Enterprise Terminals (MET) program ...More»
Coast Guard Contracts Stratos for Ku-Band Network
The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a five-year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract to Stratos to provide connectivity solutions to Coast Guard cutter vessels, Stratos’ government division SGSI announced ...More»
NGA Expands DigitalGlobe EnhancedView Contract
Earth imagery solutions provider DigitalGlobe has received a one-year, $37.9 million value-added services contract from the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) . ..More»
Orbital CEO: 2012 Will Be Difficult Year for Government Contracts
While satellite and aerospace manufacturer Orbital Sciences exceeded its financial expectations by reporting a strong 2011 third quarter, Chairman and CEO David Thompson forecasted a satellite slowdown in 2012 while speaking to reporters and analysts during an Oct. ..More»
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Industry News
Comtech Xicom Introduces BUC for Mobile Ka-band Satcom Terminals
Comtech Xicom Technology introduced its new compact 20-Watt solid-state Ka-band block up converter (BUC) for commercial and military Ka-band satellite communications uplinks, the company announced ...More»
MDA Restructuring to Expand Access to Classified U.S. Government Business
Canadian space and satellite technology company MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) is working on a legal restructuring of its ...More»
Vizada Expands Personnel Outsourcing, Consultancy Service to Defense Sector
Vizada Networks is expanding its personnel outsourcing and consultancy operations and is now offering technical recruitment and consultancy to its defense sector customers, the company announced ...More»
Elektrobit Partners with AGI on Satellite System Data Testing Platform
Wireless technology solutions developer Elektrobit has entered into a partnership with Analytical Graphics (AGI) to access its STK software in order to model complex communication scenarios for satellite, airborne and terrestrial services ...More»
Former Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Joins GeoEye Board of Directors
Earth imagery service provider GeoEye appointed retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Michael Carns to serve on its board of directors as the representative of Cerberus Capital Management ...More»
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